Deadline Extended for Dominguez-Escalante NCA Advisory Council Member Nominations

Grand Junction, Colo.—The Bureau of Land Management will accept nominations for the Advisory Council for the newly designated Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area for an additional 14 days.

The BLM is seeking nominations to fill 10 positions on the council for the NCA, a 209,610-acre natural resource gem located in parts of Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties that includes the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness.

The original nomination deadline was Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Based on strong expressions of interest late in the nomination period, BLM is extending the deadline to Jan. 4, 2010.

“It is important that we cast our net broadly for nominations, as members of this advisory council will play an important role in preparing the management plan for the new NCA,” said Katie A. Stevens, interim manager of the NCA. “We heard from some potential nominees late during the nomination period, and we want to give those folks the opportunity to submit their nominations.”

The Dominguez-Escalante NCA Advisory Council will assist the BLM during the development of the NCA’s Resource Management Plan. Members are sought who are committed to working together with other broad interests for the long-term benefit of the NCA resources.

Members serve without monetary compensation but are reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses. The Advisory Council will meet a minimum of two times per year, although nominees can expect to meet much more frequently during key planning periods. Nominees can expect to commit 15-40 hours or more annually for meetings, field trips, document reviews and other involvement.

Membership categories are as follows:

• One member shall be appointed after considering the recommendations of the Mesa County Commission;• One member shall be appointed after considering the recommendations of the Montrose County Commission;• One member shall be appointed after considering the recommendations of the Delta County Commission;• One member shall be appointed after considering the recommendations of the permittees holding grazing allotments within the Conservation Area or the Wilderness; and• Six members shall reside in, or within reasonable proximity to, Mesa County, Delta County, or Montrose County with backgrounds that reflect:o the purposes for which the Conservation Area or Wilderness was established; and o The interests of the stakeholders that are affected by the planning and management of the National Conservation Area and Wilderness.

Complete nomination packets should be mailed to Dominguez-Escalante NCA Manager, BLM Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81506. Individuals may nominate themselves or others, and nomination packets should identify the specific category or categories of interest in the nomination letter and form, as well as describe the knowledge and experience that qualifies the individual for membership. Letters of reference from the interests or organizations the nominee wishes to represent must accompany the nomination form. Final selections will be made by the Secretary of the Interior.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.